AFTER playing second fiddle to Finn Russell for Scotland this autumn, Duncan Weir wants to strike a blow in the bid to wear 10 for Glasgow when he returns to club rugby against Newport Gwent Dragons.The 23-year-old came off the bench all three November
A REPORT which recommends the axing of staff from Monmouthshire council’s libraries and one stop shops will go back to its cabinet after councillors recommended looking again at the measures. As part of plans to save up to £1.7 million in the authority
WELSH Conservatives have urged Labour Ministers to set out a goal for the 2015 PISA tests, due to be taken in less than 12 months’ time.Last month, Labour Ministers axed their 2015 target to get Wales into the top 20 of OECD nations.Voters will find out
CHANGES to a centuries-old arrangement between pub tenants and pub companies was voted through by MPs last week in defiance of the Government. Supporters predict it will help hard-pressed pubs and result in cheaper beer for pub-goers, detractors fear
A REVISED scheme to develop a solar park in Shirenewton, near Chepstow, will go before Monmouthshire councillors for the third time next week.The scheme was not supported by councillors at two previous meetings, held at County Hall, near Usk because they
FOLLOW our reporter Becky Carr for coverage of this evening's Newport Council meeting. Tweets by @ArgusBCarr
ONE in 10 employees wants to work more hours every week, but a similar number would like to put in fewer hours for less pay, a new report has shown. Around three million people are classed as under-employed, wanting to work an extra 11 hours a
GWENT Police want to identify this woman in relation to a theft at a store in Ebbw Vale. The incident happened at B and M Bargains in Ebbw Vale on November 7. Police said: "We would like to identify this woman who may be able to help us with
NEWPORT West’s AM Rosemary Butler received a formal complaint from the Liberal Democrats after she told one of their AMs to take her hand off her hip during a Senedd debate. As Presiding Officer of the National Assembly, Dame Rosemary told Eluned
THE wife of a former Caerphilly-based doctor has been found guilty of smuggling banned rhino horn into Wales. Sun Liu, 51, was also caught with bear bile and prohibited plant extracts used in Chinese medicines as she passed through customs at Cardiff
THE Welsh Assembly is considering a ban on smacking children. They will vote this evening on whether to set up a cross-party committee to investigate such a ban. Currently there is a defence of “reasonable punishment” for parents using physical
GWENT Police is urging transport users to be alert and aware as part of counter terrorism awareness week.Superintendent Andy Morgan said public assistance in combating terrorism is vital with some 30,000 people using Wales’ railway every day.“For commuters
Russian victories Germans shell Ypres Another effort in the west German naval losses The world-wide ramifications of the stupendous war is highlighted in the variety and extent of last night and this morning’s news. East Africa,
When Lord Freud, the unpopular UK Minister for Welfare reform, claimed that there was no link between the Westminster Government’s welfare cuts and the huge rise in foodbank use, he was booed in the House of Lords. His argument that the threefold increase
A PROPOSAL to give assembly members an extra £10,000 a year from the next elections has been damned as “outrageous” by politicians - but will they take the money? The board set up to recommend wages for elected members believes they deserve the
DEFENCE coach Shaun Edwards has angrily dismissed claims that Wales boss Warren Gatland is under pressure because of his failure to beat the southern hemisphere big guns.Australia and New Zealand have already left the Millennium Stadium with the spoils
OPINION from Torfaen residents was mixed today as councillors agreed to a voluntary merger with Blaenau Gwent Council. At a special council meeting held yesterday, Torfaen Council leader, Bob Wellington outlined that he believed the council should
THE Welsh Government is considering introducing a national policy on personalising graves after receiving a petition of more than 1,500 signatures following Torfaen Council removing tributes from children’s graves.Torfaen Council caused an outcry this
GETHIN Jenkins is set to provide Wales with a front row boost by recovering from a hamstring problem to feature against South Africa, writes Chris Kirwan.Warren Gatland is thin on the ground for options at loosehead after 20-year-old Ospreys prospect
25 years ago * It was the coldest November night for 18 years and consequently AA patrolmen had dealt with almost 500 breakdowns in Wales. * It was claimed that British Rail were putting passengers at risk by not providing enough carriages
CWMBRAN’S Gary Lockett never quite made it to a world title as a boxer, but he’s confident he could as a trainer after Liam Williams won a first title on Monday night.The 22-year old from the Rhondda is the new Commonwealth light-middleweight champion
BLACKWOOD’S Craig Evans is hoping for a step up in class after going ten rounds for the first time in his career, writes Michael Pearlman.The St Joseph’s trained lightweight has advanced to 13-0 after beating the game prospect Ronnie Clark decisively
A MAN is in a stable condition after being stabbed in Chepstow this morning. A spokesman for Gwent Police said the man was found with stab wounds to his shoulder and neck at an address on Woolpitch Wood, Chepstow after they were called at 10.44am
NEWPORT County boss Justin Edinburgh might be eyeing the play-offs but he’s made a top ten list today, writes Michael Pearlman.The former Spurs defender is now the tenth longest serving manager in English football according to the League Managers’ Association
THE Wales Bill, devolving a range of tax and borrowing powers including landfill tax, stamp duty land tax and - subject to a referendum - some income tax, has passed through the House of Lords.Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb and Wales Office Minister Baroness
A NEWPORT City Council depot in Bettws is to be disposed of after no community groups have come forward to take on the building. The Bettws Depot, in Lambourne Walk, has been vacant since September 2011 and could be sold by the council after Cllr Gail
SOME AMs have reacted with anger at the call for their pay to go up by nearly £10,000. Speaking in the Senedd today, Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay said: "There’s no way I’m going to go down to my local pub and argue for a £10,000 pay increase. That would
50 years ago * The Wales Tourist and Holidays Association awarded Newport a certificate of merit for conspicuous services to tourism. * The bank rate was hoisted by two per cent to seven per cent in a move to strengthen the international position
A COMPLAINT made against a Monmouthshire councillor who objects to an ice cream van being given a licence to trade in central Abergavenny has been closed.Cllr Douglas Edwards, who represents the Grofield ward, was the subject of a complaint made to the
MEMBERS of a Pontypool and Cwmbran cocaine gang led by a cage fighter were sentenced today with some jailed for over ten years. Gang leader, Ashley Beaumont, 25, of Hillside Drive in Pontypool, got his school friends as well as his girlfriend involved
THE latest news to emanate from Newport’s doomed university campus at Caerleon at least provides current students with some certainty about the remainder of their courses.The University of South Wales announced in September that the 100-year-old Caerleon
NEARLY one in five Welsh construction sites fail health and safety spot checks, according to findings released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).The HSE is urging the construction industry to ensure basic health and safety measures are in place
100 years ago * An inquest was held at Abertillery police station into the death of a man at Six Bells colliery. The deceased had fallen 30 feet from scaffolding while repairing a roof on one of the colliery buildings. A verdict of accidental death
Only a tiny proportion of people who use e-cigarettes had never smoked before, latest figures published by the Office of National Statistics have shown. There had been concerns that e-cigarettes would normalise smoking or provide a gateway to nicotine
Cwmbran-based accountancy firm Green & Co donned their aprons and held a Bake Off at their offices in aid of Children In Need. The firm invited three of their clients who work in the baking industry to judge the cakes - Richard Best, of Bruton's the Bakers
The Newport City Church Gospel Ensemble will perform at the City of Newport Business Club's first Christmas dinner event on Thursday , December 4, at The Holiday Inn, The Coldra.Newport City Church was set up in 2002 using a former cinema as its base.
The UK government has joined forces with the insurance industry in order to bring the issue of cyber security into the mind-set of vulnerable businesses.Newport-based James Davies, from Jelf Insurance Brokers, said: “This is a crucial issue facing all
GOALKEEPER Joe Day admits he’s desperate to return to Newport County AFC in January after his emergency loan came to an end at the weekend.Day is back at parent club Peterborough United this week following a superb 93-day stay at County that has helped
THE Roman Way Post Office in Caerleon is to move to a retail outlet with extended opening hours for customers. The branch closed temporarily in November 2010 but owed to a new operator, it is to move from 3 Kent Court, Caerleon to the existing
DESCRIBED by her mum as a “needle in a haystack”, the search for a bone marrow donor for a Cwmbran teen continues as she battles cancer.Emily Clark, 17, who is currently receiving chemotherapy treatment at the Teenage Cancer Trust at the University Hospital
Used cooking oil is now being accepted and recycled across all Monmouthshire Household Waste Recycling Centres. Monmouthshire County Council together with its recycling sites contractor, Viridor, has installed special tanks for five of the major recycling
Caldicot Castle was the backdrop for a special event to celebrate the success of Monmouthshire’s Rural Development Programme which has attracted more than £3.3m into the county to benefit rural communities and small businesses.More than 70 guests, including
THE welfare standards of animals reared for food is important to people in Wales in their decisions on what to buy, a report from RSPCA Cymru highlights. The charity has shown indicators providing an insight into welfare issues surrounding such animals
Caerphilly Business Forum held its annual business awards ceremony on Friday.
Wales accounted for nearly half of the total value of hotel, leisure and sport construction contracts awarded in October, thanks to the £315m Circuit of Wales motor track development, according to new figures.Barbour ABI, which is a chosen provider of
Gwent has ambition and vision in spades, according the chief executive of UK Trade and Investment, Dominic Jermey. Mr Jermey was speaking to Business Argus at the UK Investment Summit, held at the Celtic Manor Resort last week. Mr Jermey, who
Pupils at Duffryn High School had a scary shock when they came face to face with a giant carbon monoxide puppet which visited the Newport school.The deathly-looking puppet made the visit courtesy of a unique partnership between gas network company Wales
MILLIONS of people and companies change their computer systems and Smartphones for the latest models every month but thieves are harvesting unwanted hard drives which contain crucial personal and business information, according to Newport company Erecycler.Everything
A Newport-based car sales business has added an extra sprinkle of sparkle to this year's Celtic Manor Resort's Christmas Kingdom after becoming the event’s presenting sponsor.For the first time this year Mrs Claus will be making the journey over from
Newport Chamber of Trade held its annual dinner dance at The Parkway. The Mayor of Newport, Councillor Matthew Evans and Chamber of Trade president Alan Edwards were among the guests. For more pictures from this event visit www.facebook.com/SWABusiness
A speciality chocolate manufacturer in Caerphilly is enjoying the sweet taste of success having won a contract to supply every Tesco store in Wales with their unique brand of novelty chocolate gifts – just months after launching. Its first order of festive
LEADING Wales property firm Paul Fosh Auctions has signalled its intention to boost its business with a key new appointment.The largest auction house in Wales, renowned for its regular sales of domestic houses, is putting an increased focus on commercial
COUNCIL mergers in Wales could cost £269m a report has revealed today. The study, by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), was undertaken in the wake of the Williams Report which recommended that the number of councils
A NEWPORT artist has finished a painting of a packed Millennium Stadium on rugby day, 12 months after he started the piece. Portrait artist Aidan Chiselle, from Rogerstone, finished the oil painting on Saturday in time for Wales’ match against
By Iestyn Davies, FSB WalesIt is at this time of year that the thoughts of many of us turn to Christmas shopping. Indeed, festive trade is crucial to many businesses, and the festive season really can mean make or break for some, particularly those in
The Newport area could be on course to becoming a hi-tech IT hub, according to a Welsh Government IT advisor, who also works for Newport-based recruitment firm Acorn.Dave Sadler, played a role in convincing hi-tech firm Smartpipe Solutions to come to
St Joseph’s private hospital in Newport is set to become one of the best equipped in the UK, according to the new owners who are planning to invest about £7m in revamping the site. Brian Staples, one of a group of three who bought the hospital
MEMBERS and associates of a Pontypool and Cwmbran cocaine gang led by a cage fighter are due to be sentenced today. Boss Ashley Beaumont, 25, of Hillside Drive in Pontypool, got his school friends as well as his girlfriend involved in the gang,
On September 18 2008, I wrote to all Kymin’s clients to give them my assessment of the situation following the collapse of Lehman Brothers three days earlier. Among the things I wrote was a prediction the government would start printing money.
Historic properties are a vital part of our heritage and they requires niche expertise to ensure the fabric of the building can be preserved while commercial needs are met. Take Newport’s Westgate Hotel. This month marks the 175th anniversary of the Chartist
Two of South Wales’ fastest growing enterprises took the top spots at the annual Caerphilly Business Forum Awards held to honour stand-out firms in the county borough.Nuaire, a long-established designer and manufacturer of ventilation systems, and Xibo
HAT-TRICK hero Aaron O’Connor says nobody will look forward to facing Newport County AFC after his goals sank Bury on Saturday.O’Connor believes the Exiles’ 3-1 win at Gigg Lane has sent out a warning to their League Two rivals and he insists the club
WALES wing Alex Cuthbert says the players want to beat South Africa on Saturday to reward the fans for their incredible support throughout the autumn internationals.Cuthbert insists the squad and management are every bit as frustrated as the Welsh public
WHEN the dust settles and Nathan Cleverly takes stock of his defeat to Tony Bellew, the business side of his brain should click into gear.The Cefn Fforest fighter spoke willing before his disappointing – in more ways than one – defeat at the Liverpool
WAITS of more than 12 hours for patients in accident and emergency departments in Wales rose again during October, with the figure for Gwent topping 300 for the first time in 18 months. The last two months have seen the highest number of waits
VIVID memories linger of the last time Newport County produced an utterly dazzling away performance.It was January 2013 and despite a recent walloping at home to Forest Green Rovers – grim – the Exiles went to Lincoln City and utterly demolished them,
NEWPORT’S Central Library could close and 13 full time jobs lost under a library services review being considered by the city council. The closure of the Central Library, which needs an estimated £2.5 million of repairs, has been highlighted as
THIS picture is more of a painting, I think. It is the east side of River Usk, down from Town Bridge. Not sure what’s there now but somewhere by there once was the Harbour Commissioners pontoon where paddle steamers were used. All has changed
MONTY Python lovers will see a new side to the Life of Brian this Christmas when Pill Harriers Rugby club put their own spin on the film for the return of their infamous adult pantomime. Set in Roman times, the pantomime will tell the story of
